Jonathan P. Fadok, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Jonathan received his Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington, where his dissertation research with Richard Palmiter was supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. He then completed his postdoctoral fellowship with Andreas Luthi at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. This work was funded in part by grants from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. In the fall of 2017, he started his own lab at Tulane Universtiy. His research program is currently funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Marko Spark Innovation Award, and a Lavin-Bernick Grant.

Maria Dorofeikova

Postdoctoral Fellow

Mariia is a graduate from the Medical faculty of Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia. The topic of her PhD thesis was cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Her scientific interests include neurobiology of mental disorders and neuropsychopharmacology. In her free time she is an avid traveler and photographer.

Eric Le

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Eric has obtained his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Neuroscience at Tulane, and now is pursuing his PhD in the Fadok Lab. He hopes to learn about the underlying mechanisms that drive anxiety and fear-based behaviors and eventually contribute to helping those who live with mental illness. When not at work in the lab, Eric likes to spend his time dancing, reading new books, and watching cooking shows.

Daniel Hereford

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Homegrown in New Orleans, Daniel returned from Baylor University in Texas to pursue his PhD at Tulane. In his undergraduate studies, Daniel focused on the biochemistry behind the anxiolytic effects of running. In Fadok lab he hopes to uncover the circuitry behind anxiety and the control that can be exerted over it. Daniel hopes to ultimately develop strategies to help us cope with the anxiogenic aspects of modern society. In his free time Daniel enjoys running in beautiful uptown New Orleans, listening to Carly Rae Jepsen, and reading for pleasure when he gets the chance.

Cemo Semmedi

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Cemo was born and raised in Northern Cyprus, and she moved to the US in 2013 to obtain her undergraduate degree. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2017 with a double major in Neuroscience & Psychology, and started her PhD in Neuroscience at Tulane in 2019. Cemo is interested in studying emotion regulation mechanisms in the brain. In her spare time, she likes to attend concerts & music festivals, travel, and learn about different cultures.

Lydia F. Smith-Osborne

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Lydia grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Texas for high school. She completed her B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. She then went on to receive a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. She was accepted into the NIH T32 Fellowship hosted by Tulane University, a PhD program designed to train doctor-scientists and bridge the gap between clinical medicine and benchtop research. Her research interests include the biomolecular pathophysiology of neurodegenerative illnesses in mammalian species, and the neurologic basis of comorbid mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, long bike rides, outdoor yoga, and reading.

Alexis Resendez

Research Technician

Alexis is a graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she attained a degree in Biology with a minor in English. She enjoys exploring many facets of our world, from the complex study of neuroscience to mountaintops. In her spare time she enjoys live music, reading, and spending time with her pet, Albert the cat.

Natalia Sifnugel

TURN summer researcher and undergraduate independent study, Neuroscience Program

Natalia is from from Boston, MA and is an undergraduate at Tulane studying Neuroscience and Public Health. In the future she hopes to continue participating in research in either cell biology, biochemistry, or neuroscience. When she's not studying or in the lab, she likes to watch Rick and Morty and chill with her sister's dog.

Tal Sherman

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Tal is from from New Jersey and she is an undergrad , majoring in Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track. She is a Peer Educator at the Academic Success Center, focusing on biology, neuroscience, and organic chemistry. She likes to spend her time with friends, skiing, and traveling. 

Kate Weissmuller

Undergraduate and TURN summer researcher, Neuroscience Program

Kate is a junior from Los Angeles majoring in Neuroscience and Sociology.  She plans on attending medical school and continuing doing neuroscience research after graduating from Tulane.  When she has the opportunity, she enjoys spending her free time traveling, horseback riding, getting food with her friends, and practicing yoga.

Rithvik Vutukuri

Undergraduate and CELT Summer researcher, Neuroscience Program

Rithvik is a Freshman from Kingsport, Tennessee. He is currently majoring in neuroscience and is planning on attending medical school upon his graduation. When he is not studying, he loves playing pool and ping pong, hanging out with his dog, and listening to music.

Catherine Vo

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Catherine is a Freshman from Houston, Texas. She is currently a majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Business Management on a Pre-Med track. During her free time, she enjoys photography, filming and editing, food blogging, crafting playlists, and playing piano.

Samhita Basavanhalli

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Samhita is a sophomore from Mumbai, India. She is currently majoring in neuroscience and minoring in public health and Spanish. She plans on attending medical school upon her graduation. Outside of the lab, she works at the Center for Public Service as a Service Learning Assistant and enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends.

Erin Bean

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Bean is an undergraduate from outside of Boston, Massachusetts majoring in neuroscience and minoring in public health and psychology. After she graduates from Tulane, she plans to attend medical school. When not studying, working in the lab, or working as a Tulane Desk Service Coordinator, Bean spends most her time performing with her a cappella group, working as a member of Tulane’s Sexual Assault Peer Hotline and Education, and volunteering at Tulane hospital.

Camilla Schreiber 

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Camilla is an undergraduate from Baltimore, Maryland, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology, minoring in Art History, and on a Pre-Veterinary track. During her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, biking, playing with cats and dogs and hanging out with friends.

Chandrashekhar Borkar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Chandrashekhar received his PhD in Faculty of Medicine from the Department of Pharmaceutical Science, RTM Nagpur University, India. He elucidated the role of CART peptide in the neurobiological process of learning and memory for his PhD thesis.  He is interested in understanding the neuropathological mechanisms of memory and affective disorders. Outside of the lab, he enjoys traveling with friends and photography.